About The Film

When Eyad, an Arab-Israeli teen, is accepted into a prestigious Jerusalem boarding school in the 1980s, he feels out of place. He doesn’t speak Hebrew well or have the cultural knowledge his classmates do, and he’s surrounded by students used to being taught the Israeli perspective on everything.

Eyad eventually makes some connections at school: he befriends a wheelchair-bound teen name Yonatan, and falls in love with a Jewish classmate, Naomi, with whom he begins a secret love affair. But as the Arab-Israeli conflict heats up, Eyad struggles with his identity and gaining acceptance.

Based on the semi-autobiographical book by Sayed Kashua (ARAB LABOR), who also wrote the screenplay, DANCING ARABS, is a multifaceted and novelistic film that features a strong cast and striking cinematography.

Filmmaker/Writer Bios

Eran Riklis is a prominent Israeli director. His films include CUP FINAL (1991), THE SYRIAN BRIDE (SJFF 2004), LEMON TREE (SJFF 2008) and ZAYTOUN (2012). His 2010 film THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER was Israel’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards^®, and SJFF’s Opening Night Film in 2011, when Riklis attended to receive our 2^nd annual SJFF Reel Difference Award.

Sayed Kashua is an Arab-Israeli author, screenwriter and journalist. Best known as the mastermind behind Israel’s hit TV sitcom, ARAB LABOR (Avoda avarit), which won the award for Best Television Series at the Jerusalem Film Festival, Kashua has written three novels, “Dancing Arabs,” “Let It Be Morning,” and “Second Person Singular,” which won the 2011 Bernstein Prize.

 Sponsors:

• Small Changes Inc.